Learn English like a child- that is my best advice. Children are the best and most natural language learners. If they are given the right conditions, they learn languages effortlessly. They naturally develop excellent pronunciation, excellent grammar, and excellent fluency.
When developing any skill, my philosophy is always the same– study the best. As a singing student, I don’t study mediocre singers. I study the best singers in my genre (rock) and try to learn their songs. As a runner, I don’t study fat people… I study the very best long distance endurance runners in the world– ultra-marathoners… and I try to follow their methods.
As an English learner, you should do the same. Study the very best English learners in the world– the people who succeed at the highest level. Those people are young children.
How To Learn English Like A Child
Everyone who joins my free email Newsletter gets an e-book titled “Learn Languages Like Children”. The book discusses several of the secrets that children naturally use– that adults, unfortunately, forget.
However, there is one key secret that is not included in the e-book– and it is, perhaps, the most important secret of children: Connect & Have Fun!
I don’t know any young children who study English grammar rules– whether they are native speakers or non-native speakers. In fact, I don’t know any young children who “study” English at all.
Children don’t study. They are not so damn serious. Children communicate and children play. Their number one focus is always to have fun!
As a result, children are totally relaxed when learning a language. They don’t stress about mistakes. They don’t stress about their progress. They don’t constantly measure themselves with tests.
They just have fun… and in the process they absorb English easily and quickly.
Unfortunately, many adults seem to have trouble with this. Most adults are depressingly serious all the time. They are constantly worrying. They are constantly stressed. They are constantly measuring their own progress. They almost never seem to laugh or play or enjoy the process of learning.
No wonder adults are such slow learners!
Every day I get emails from stressed, worried adults. They are stressed because they “aren’t learning fast enough”. They are stressed because they “make too many mistakes when speaking”. They are stressed because they failed a test or got a bad grade. These people are absolutely miserable while learning English.
Here’s a scientific, research-based fact: miserable stressed people learn much more slowly. Specifically, they remember less of what they study, they learn grammar more slowly, they learn vocabulary more slowly, and they improve their pronunciation more slowly. Research shows that miserable stressed serious people also develop fluency much more slowly. Stress and misery are bad for your brain!
Of course, all adults are guilty of this at times. With my own language learning, I have often become too serious. I stressed. I became worried about my progress. As a result, I linked negative emotions to language learning and destroyed my own motivation.
So its time for all of us adults to lighten up, laugh, play, and have some damn fun with English!
This is the reason my Mini-Story lessons are so crazy. This is the reason I jump and shout and laugh and act like an idiot when I’m teaching. I’m using all of my energy to break the stress and seriousness of my adult students. I’m getting you to laugh.
My goal is to help you become children again, for just a little while…. because I know if you do, you will learn much faster.. and just as importantly, you will feel great while you are learning.
Have a great day, and remember to smile and laugh while learning English!
December 15th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Hallo, AJ,
My name is Valery. I’m from
Latvia. Thank you for sharing
of knowledges with others.
I’ll tell to my friends about
Effortless English. You doing
well. Valery
December 20th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Thank you very much.
December 21st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Hi Ag :I am kokana from libya i studying english for long time i started with grammer ,but it was weating of time and money but with you and your voice make me feel too much improvment in my speaking.
so,Ag thank u very much
December 26th, 2008 at 1:17 am
That is so interesting! I’ve never tought about it all this way… From now on, I’ll learn like a child. Thanks!!!
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:34 pm
To. Mr. AJ. Hoge, After I got Email from Mr. AJ, I’m very happy, because I got new experience for learn English. Mr.AJ gave me a lot of inpirations about the practice English in a short time. The fisrt I’m very nervous, and I afraid for speaking English. A now I always speak English without thingking I make trouble or mistakes in my Englsih. Thank you Mr. AJ
January 6th, 2009 at 3:55 am
Mr. Hoge
I’m really interested in learning english. I love english language very much.I’ve been studying english for years and I don’t have a good english speaking yet.
I would like to get the four basic skills in lerning english language:understanding,speaking,
reading and writing.
Thanks…I’ll be your student soon.
January 7th, 2009 at 2:33 am
Hi!
I’ve been subscribed to your newsletter for almost eight months and have not yet received the e-book you mentioned above. Will you please email it or let me know how to download it?
Thank you.
January 9th, 2009 at 6:18 am
rasoul
ear A.J how are you thanks for your 7 rules and all your emails really enjoy with it and i like the new way hitch and i hope to send me more
January 13th, 2009 at 5:53 am
Thank you very much for your rules, I am an Arabic language teacher and I think I can apply these rules to teach any language , I will try to apply its with teaching Arabic as a scound language .
January 14th, 2009 at 2:45 am
My dear teacher thanks a lot for your teaching and I hope you to send me or continue teach me in the future.
September 24th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Hello!, I’m from Viet Nam. In my country, all students study English by writting, reading first.After they study listenning and speaking. And the result: almost students study during 13 years but they can’t use English when make communicate.I am one of them.
BUT NOW, I find your method. I thank you.I believe I will good in English.
March 12th, 2011 at 1:40 am
And the result: almost students study during 13 years but they can’t use English when make communicate.I am one of them.
BUT NOW, I find your method. I thank you.I believe I will good in English.
May 15th, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Hi i’m from Brazil i’m learning at home and i can say, the first time that i saw your video on youtube i’m feel so good ;D. ‘Coz i can understood much that you’ve been speaking, Then thank you for your lessons. Bye
SORRY FOR MY MISTAKES LOL
May 15th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
how you say, we dont need hurry to learn, ‘Coz all have a time. and right now i’m trying to learn like a child lol, because i like the way how them do to learn. is so amazing lol, when i meet with some child i ask her. how old are you ? lol
and they have a way so simple to talk, some words they have problem to say, but it looks so easy to them. Because of this i want to learn like a child.
July 27th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
HI, My name is Saeed I’m from Somalia really I like these lessons I wanna learn more vocabulary words
July 28th, 2011 at 6:27 pm
Hello Mrs.AJ.thanks a lot for sharing new learning methodes.My English is not good,I always tried my best but failed.I saw in YOUY TUBE your video I really interested .Once again thanks a lot.Bye and have a good time.
October 9th, 2011 at 4:57 am
hello!
sir,
i hope you fine
i have taken many lessons from your site . it is plessure for me to be in contact with you. i am an English course manager i always teach student your materials and submmite them your topices. it has befited all my students alot.
Sincerly
Ahmadullah Sarwar, Kandahr, Afghanistan.
January 3rd, 2012 at 7:08 am
Dear Sir/AJ Hoge
Hello
First of all, I would like to thank you for all your effort that makes English language learning effortless I really appreciate it and from deep of my heart thank you.
Second, It would be appreciate if you send to me the script of learn like a child because I want to present it as a presentation in my class as soon as possible.I hope that it allowed on the part of you.
Finally, I will be grateful if you inform me if there are any mistakes in this letter.
Best wishes,
Waled from Sudan
January 16th, 2012 at 2:44 am
Dear AJ Hoge,
thank you very much for your advice.
like a child-
great!
sorry,hihi,i cannot describe my feel by English,now.i only can say that
you’re great,your methods are great,too. very very great!
thank for at all and sorry for my mistake!